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This invention relates generally to monitoring turbine plants, and more particularly, to network-based systems and methods for remotely monitoring a plurality of turbine plants.
As power generation demands have increased, there also has been an increased need for assessing operating conditions of power generation turbine plants. Accurately assessing operating conditions facilitates accurate prediction of potential problems, troubleshooting existing problems, and predicting future power generation shortfalls.
Gas turbine engines used for power generation include a plurality of sensors which monitor key engine parameters and associated components, including generator sets, pump sets, and compressor sets. The signals generated by the sensors are transmitted to a monitoring system within the plant. At least some known monitoring systems are coupled to local intranets which enable users within the plant to view the data. Original equipment manufacturers and support personnel remote from the plants may only have limited access to such data.
To provide operational data to support personnel remote from the plants, at least some monitoring systems are connected in wide area networks, e.g., the Internet, so that such remote users can view data from remote locations. However, local customer access is precluded by such monitoring systems and is limited to local users that have access to the internet and have security access to the monitoring system. Furthermore, such systems permit only data from one plant to be viewed at a time, and data retrieved from a plurality of plants is only simultaneously viewable using multiple monitoring systems, multiple applications, or with multiple viewing locations.
In one aspect, a web-based system that monitors a plurality of different gas turbine plants and includes a server system that processes data from a plurality of plants is provided. The web-based system also includes a client sub-system including a browser and a storage device for storing information. The server system is configured to be coupled to the client sub-system and retrieves operational data from the plurality of gas turbine plants, stores the data in the centralized database, and generates graphical representations of the operational data based on the stored data. More specifically, operational data from a plurality of turbine plants is compiled such that operational data retrieved from a plurality of plants is concurrently viewable. The web-based system creates a central repository of operational data for users to access and view operational data from a plurality of plants. As a result, the web-based monitoring system permits customers to analyze their turbine plant fleet and perform unit-to-unit comparisons in a cost-effective and reliable manner.
In another aspect, a method for remotely monitoring a plurality of gas turbine plants using a web-based system that includes a server system coupled to a centralized interactive database and at least one client system is provided. The method includes the steps of retrieving operating data from equipment monitored at each gas turbine plant, transmitting the retrieved data to the centralized database at pre-determined timed intervals, providing internal and external users access at least one of archived data and live on-line data using the web-based system, and providing users access to concurrently view operational data compiled from a plurality of gas turbine plants.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a web-site for monitoring a plurality of gas turbine plants using a web-based system that includes a server system coupled to a centralized interactive database and at least one client system is provided. The web-based system is configured to retrieve operational data from equipment monitored at each remote gas turbine plant, provide access to archived retrieved operational data, provide remote access to on-line operational data, and concurrently display operational data from a plurality of remote plants.